2010 STEP=UP Leadership Summer Institute

STEP=UP Leadership hosted a two-day summer institute (June 23 and 24, 2010) for special education doctoral students in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At the institute, doctoral students learned about the research and writing responsibilities of higher education faculty and how to prepare materials to gain employment as a professor. Students participated in four panel discussion sessions led by higher education faculty from UIC and Chicago-area universities:    

Session I: Scholarly Writing for Publication

Mavis Donahue, Professor, Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago  

Elisa Shernoff, Assistant Professor, Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago

Debra Meyer, Professor, Education, Elmhurst College

In the first session, professors Mavis Donahue, Elisa Shernoff, and Debra Meyer discuss the process of developing manuscripts

 

Session II: Professional Service and Writing

Lisa Cushing, Associate Professor, Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago

Christine Salisbury, Professor, Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago

David Mayrowetz, Associate Professor, Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago

 

During the second session, professors Lisa Cushing, David Mayrowetz, and Christine Salisbury discuss how to prepare a research conference proposal

 

Special education doctoral students collaborate and engage in discussion centered on preparing research manuscripts.

 

Session III: Getting a Job and the Application Process in Higher Education

Wu-Ying Hsieh, Assistant Professor, Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago

David Yasutake, Professor, Special Education, Northeastern Illinois University

In the third session, professors David Yasutake and Wu-Ying Hsieh discuss the application process in higher education including tips for preparing for interviews.

Session IV: Crafting a Cover Letter and Curriculum Vitae 

Cynthia Shanahan, Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago

Mark Smylie, Professor, Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago

Theresa Thorkildsen, Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago

In each session, panelists offered their own experiences, examples from their work, and also fielded questions so that students could make connections to their own studies. Students did activities such as critique a manuscript sent for blind-review to a referred journal, critique a conference proposal, look at how to construct a good conference proposal, and consider different employment cover letters. Across two full days, participants engaged in lively discussions, including small group conversations to network with each other. They also received a plethora of supporting resources such as articles and books to help them prepare for next steps in their academic and professional careers.

 

In the final session, professors Cindy Shanahan, Mark Smylie, and Theresa A. Thorkildsen share experiences about the process of crafting cover letters for the job application process

 

Professor Theresa Thorkildsen walks students through the do's and don'ts of curriculum vitae.

Doctoral students were enthusiastic about the Summer Institute and provided positive feedback. Here are some sample comments: 

 1) “I learned the importance of matching your work to the correct journal and great tips for overcoming writer's block & getting the work done.”

 2) “The presentation gave the ins and outs of scholarly writing. I appreciated the level of honesty and the tips (which were very practical and helpful) for writing and publishing.”

3) “I learned the purpose and meaning of a CV and cover letter along with the strategic decision-making process involved.”

4) “It was really nice to have a wide variety of presenters from different departments and universities. I learned tips on preparing for interviews including the pre-interview process, job search, and organizational matrix.”

 

Students engaged and taking notes from panel sessions